### [Read this on the main serverless docs site](https://www.serverless.com/framework/docs/providers/azure/guide/credentials) # Azure - Credentials The Serverless Framework needs access to Azure account credentials so that it can create and manage resources on your behalf. ## Create an Azure Account Azure provides a hosted serverless computing solution based upon [Azure Functions](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/functions/). If you don't have an Azure account, get started by [signing up for a free account](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/), which includes \$200 of free credit ### Interactive Login Upon running `$ serverless deploy`, you will automatically be prompted to login via your browser. Simply follow the instructions. ### Authenticating with a Service Principal For anything more than just experimenting with the plugin, it is recommended to use a [service principal](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/app-objects-and-service-principals). Below are steps on creating one: > Note: If you're using non-public Azure, such as national clouds or Azure Stack, be sure you set your Azure endpoint before logging in. ##### 1. Download the [Azure CLI](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/install-azure-cli) or use the [Azure Cloud Shell](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-shell/overview) ##### 2. Login to Azure ```sh $ az login ``` This will give you a code and prompt you to visit [aka.ms/devicelogin](https://aka.ms/devicelogin). ##### 3. Get your subscription and tenant id ```sh $ az account list { "cloudName": "AzureCloud", "id": "", "isDefault": true, "name": "My Azure Subscription", "registeredProviders": [], "state": "Enabled", "tenantId": "5bc10873-159c-4cbe-a7c9-bce05cb065c1", "user": { "name": "hello@example.com", "type": "user" } } ``` If you have multiple accounts, you can specify the "current" subscription for the session by running ```sh $ az account set -s ``` ##### 4. Create a service principal ```sh $ az ad sp create-for-rbac ``` This will yield something like: ```json { "appId": "19f7b7c1-fc4e-4c92-8aaf-21fffc93b4c9", "displayName": "azure-cli-1970-01-01-00-00-00", "name": "http://azure-cli-1970-01-01-00-00-00", "password": "48d82644-00f2-4e64-80c5-65192f9bb2d0", "tenant": "16f63fe8-17db-476f-b2b3-ba3752a03a33" } ``` Save this somewhere secure. ##### 5. Set up environment variables Add the following environment variables to the shell session or CI/CD tool that will be used for deployment of your Azure Function App: ```sh # bash export AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID='' # From step 3 export AZURE_TENANT_ID='' export AZURE_CLIENT_ID='' export AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET='' ``` ```powershell # PowerShell $env:AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID='' # From step 3 $env:AZURE_TENANT_ID='' $env:AZURE_CLIENT_ID='' $env:AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET='' ```